Review on 🎮 High-performance MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon WiFi Motherboard: ATX, 11th/10th Gen Intel Core, LGA 1200 Socket, DDR4, PCIe 4, CFX, M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6E, DP/HDMI, Mystic Light RGB by Andrew Holman

A brand new build based on the MSI MPG Gaming Pro Carbon AC. After a few weeks of research I settled on this board, despite the lack of reviews either here or on Newegg (since it's a recently released board). Pulled the trigger mainly due to feature set, price, and previous good experience with MSI motherboards and graphics cards. Years have passed since I last built a drilling rig; MSI motherboard improvements have come a long way. Extremely impressed with the amazing build quality, thoughtful accessories and detailed manual with easy to follow Ikea-like diagrams detailing things like proper memory slot placement, proper CPU orientation and proper M.2 heat shield installation. AC Wireless was a game changer from my previous Netgear USB 3.0 wireless solution, with near-instantaneous page loads and ultra-low latency games. The assembly process was simple, with a logical layout, and the components are thoughtfully designed and clearly labeled. RGB is subtle and very cool. The 6 BIOS controlled fan headers work fine (7 including the CPU fan). Gameboost and DDR4 one-button overclocking is foolproof and results in a huge performance boost with perfect stability. Was concerned about the lack of USB ports, but with the extra features on the front and a cheap USB hub, that's not a problem. The preinstalled I/O slots and steel-reinforced PCI slots are more impressive than expected. The Nvme M.2 heat shield has been redesigned from previous MSI boards and now works as advertised (don't forget to remove the plastic from the thermal pad). You will need a super small Phillips head to remove the heat shield to install the M.2. I had to download the latest BIOS and flash it to a USB drive; BIOS firmware is working properly. Updated audio and chipset drivers, easy to find and install from MSI website. It took me a while to build it and everything released correctly on the first try. In general, I like the board, its value is above the charts, and there are no significant drawbacks, except for small things like the need to flash the BIOS. Reused old GTX 980 drives and SSD/HDD, everything else is new: MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon16GB Corsair Vengeance LED DDR4 3200Samsung 970 EVO M.2 NVMeNoctua NH-D15 Air Coolerintel core i5 9600KCougar Panzer S CaseCorsair 850x Gold PSUVetroo and Thermaltake 120mm fans